Chaplaincy, Spiritual & Pastoral Care

Interfaith Resources for Every Soul

Chaplaincy, Spiritual & Pastoral Care

Your body isn’t the only thing that makes you who you are, and we recognize that it’s not the only thing that needs care. Our hospital is filled with just as much emotion as it is with charts, medicines and machines, and though more and more these things seem to make up the lion’s share of what we perceive as health care, many of us believe that the health of the spirit is equally important. Some of the most significant events in people’s lives take place here, from the joy of birth to the grief at the end of life, to the difficulties of adjusting to lifestyle changes that are often necessitated by the extreme injuries or serious illnesses that have brought people here.


Cooley Dickinson Health Care retains an Interfaith Support Team that is here to provide spiritual care to patients, families, staff and volunteers, and are here to help with issues including:

  • Grief/bereavement/loss issues
  • Emotional distress, anxiety or discomfort
  • Coping with a new diagnosis of serious illness
  • Feelings of isolation with no nearby family and friends
  • A desire for prayer, blessing or other comfort from a familiar tradition

Chaplains are available by staff page or by calling 582-2869. Chaplains are familiar with Jewish, Catholic, Muslim, Protestant Christian and Buddhist spiritual traditions, and can also offer services to anyone who considers themselves atheist, agnostic or generally spiritual in some way.

  • Bedside Services

    Chaplains are available by staff page or by calling 582-2869. Chaplains are familiar with Jewish, Catholic, Muslim, Protestant Christian and Buddhist spiritual traditions, and can also offer services to anyone who considers themselves atheist, agnostic or generally spiritual in some way.

  • Gugger Memorial Chapel

    The Gugger Memorial Chapel is a non-denominational space for people of any faith or belief to seek comfort and peace. Overlooking the hospital’s healing garden, the room features a majestic natural centerpiece cut from ancient Goshen stone, and offers a warm, quiet space for those contemplating matters of depth and spirituality. The Chapel was made possible by Brock Lynch, MD, a retired cancer surgeon, World War II veteran and a tenor in the Young@Heart Chorus, coupled with additional donations from the community, and was named for Lynch’s brother-in-law, Vincent Daniel Gugger.

  • The Healing Garden

    The Healing Garden at Cooley Dickinson Hospital is a place of beauty, solace and natural light to benefit your body, mind and soul. The garden offers a sanctuary for mobile patients, visitors and staff who would like to re-connect with nature and gain a new perspective. There are benches and tables where groups of people can eat together in warm weather, and engraved bricks given by hundreds of hospital donors in memory of loved ones record thoughtful memories, quotes, or other meaningful words along the garden's main walkway. Patients unable to enjoy the outdoor garden have access to garden views from several treatment areas, hospital corridors and patient rooms.

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